Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet (Capitan Alatriste Series #5)

by Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Overview

The fifth novel in the adventures of Captain Alatriste, a seventeenth-century swashbuckler and "a twenty-first-century literary phenomenon"(Entertainment Weekly).

In the cosmopolitan world of seventeenth-century Madrid, Captain Alatriste and his protégé Íñigo are fish out of water. But the king is determined to keep Alatriste on retainer--regardless of whether his "employment" brings the captain uncomfortably close to old enemies. Alatriste begins an affair with the famous and beautiful actress, María Castro, but soon discovers that the cost of her favors may be more than he bargained for--especially when he and Íñigo become unwilling participants in a court conspiracy that could lead them both to the gallows.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780452296503
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/31/2010
Series:	Capitan Alatriste Series , #5
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Arturo Pérez-Reverte's novels have captivated readers around the world and earned him a reputation as "the master of the intellectual thriller" (Chicago Tribune). Originally a war correspondent, he now writes fiction full-time. His novels include the Captain Alatriste series, The Flanders Panel, The Club Dumas, The Fencing Master, The Seville Communion, The Nautical Chart, The Queen of the South, and What We Become. His books have been published in fifty countries.He is a member of the Spanish Royal Academy. He lives near Madrid, Spain.

Reading Group Guide

INTRODUCTION

In 17th–century Madrid, Captain Diego Alatriste and his apprentice, Íñigo Balboa, are attempting to enjoy the tenuous peacetime Spain has gained after the Hundred Years War. They occupy themselves with literature and theatre, spending time with their old friend and celebrated poet Francisco de Quevedo. Instead of exchanging gunfire with the French, they exchange witty repartee about the latest plays and the authors who wrote them. The most popular dramas of the day, however, reflect the lives its citizens, and all of their romance, scandals and violence, and so it isn't long before the Captain and Íñigo find themselves entangled in another intrigue—this time a plot against King Philip himself.

Their romantic lives have much to do with the mess they find themselves in. The Captain has entered into a dalliance with Madrid's most famous, and famously beautiful, actress—Maria de Castro, and both her actor husband and several members of the king's court have reason to object to their love affair. Meanwhile, Íñigo finds himself led right into harm's way by the angelic–looking and dangerously seductive Angelica de Alquézar, the niece of Captain Alatriste's powerful enemy, Luis de Alquézar, and a member of the queen's court. Soon, Alatriste and his loyal apprentice are in more danger of losing their liberty, and even their lives, on their home soil than they ever were in foreign lands during times of war.

The latest in the Arturo Pérez–Reverte's series of novels about the adventures of Captain Alatriste, The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet continues the tale of this captivating swashbuckler.

Filled with suspense and action, as well as minute historical detail, The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet depicts 17th–century Spain and all of the corruption, deception and betrayal that ran through its royal court at the height of its wealth and opulence.

ABOUT ARTURO PÉREZ–REVERTE

Arturo Pérez–Reverte lives near Madrid. Originally a war correspondent, he now writes fiction full–time. His novels include The Flanders Panel, The Club Dumas, The Fencing Master, The Seville Communion, The Nautical Chart, and The Queen of the South. In 2002, he was elected to the Spanish Royal Academy.

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This novel is told alternately from the third–person point of view of Captain Alatriste and from the first–person point of view of Alatriste's apprentice, Íñigo Balboa, as if written down in his memoirs. Whose point of view did you prefer, and why? What were the benefits and the drawbacks of receiving the story in this way? Would you have preferred to have the entire story delivered in the same voice all the way through?

Compare this novel to other works of historical fiction that you may have read. How well does Pérez–Reverte depict 17th–century Spain, and its political and social atmosphere? Also, if you have read other novels in this series about Captain Alatriste, discuss how this installment compares to the others. (And if you haven't—was it easy to follow the story without being familiar with the previous adventures of this particular group of characters?)

Also, discuss the effect of the sonnets and lines of poetry that are woven into the book. How did they (or did they not) lend authenticity to the book? How did they contribute to the tone of the novel, and support the novel's development of setting and character? In particular, consider that the most respected playwrights and poets of the time were often engaged in their writing and at least one other career or vocation, such as that of priest or soldier. How is this significant? What does it tell us about the culture of Spain at this time?

Balboa, the primary narrator of the story, tells us that the Spain he depicts was a Spain on the brink of decline and destruction—and that even the most prominent and respected men of church and state were often guilty of ethical and moral transgressions. Discuss the effect, then, of following characters that are clearly honorable and loyal, like Íñigo Balboa and Francisco de Quevedo. Would you include (or did you include) Captain Alatriste in this group as you read the book? What makes him a slightly less trustworthy, but perhaps more interesting, character than the rest?

What did you think of Angelica de Alquézar? When she professed to love Íñigo at the beginning of the novel, did you believe her? When she began to spy on the "king" with Íñigo at her side, what did you suspect? When she literally stabbed him in the back, were you surprised? Do you think she felt anything for Íñigo at all? Why didn't she kill him immediately, when she had the chance?

Similarly, how did you feel about Captain Alatriste's relationship with Maria de Castro, and his refusal to give her up when he knew of the king's intentions? What did you think of her character? Compare her to Angelica de Alquézar, and to Caridad la Lebrijana—who did you find more interesting, and why? Do you think these women are fully–developed characters, or archetypes? Who would you have preferred to see developed further in the story?

Compare the political and social intrigues of this court to 21st–century politics and social networking. What do you find are the most striking similarities? What do these characters reveal about the nature of men, and particularly the way men and women use their fellow men and women for physical and social fulfillment and political and economic gain? Do you find the same is true today?

Íñigo tells us early in the story that Alatriste will die several years later, not at this particular time in their lives. This happens at several points in the novel, with regards to several characters. Discuss the effect this has on the suspense in the book. For instance, were you ever truly in fear for Captain Alatriste's life? Describe the moments in the book that you found to be most suspenseful, and why.

Twice Captain Alatriste engages in swordfights, bests his opponents, and then goes to the trouble of finding the men help and/or medical attention. What did these two duels—one at the novel's opening moments, the other at the end of the book—reveal about his character?

What did you think when Rafael Cózar joined Íñigo in his attempt to save Captain Alatriste and King Philip? Why was the comedy he provided during this climax in the story particularly fitting? Discuss, too, where Cózar fits: with the men of honor in this novel, or with the men of muddled morals? Is this battle on the king's behalf enough to redeem him?

Similarly, discuss King Philip's gesture at the end of the novel, when he gives Guadalmedina's hat to Captain Alatriste, coupled with his final words. Does this redeem him in anyway, despite his penchant for chasing women, obsessively hunting, and ignoring affairs of state?

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Captain Alatriste series

"Equipped with a quick-witted, charismatic hero and much to provoke and goad him, Mr. Pérez-Reverte has the makings of a flamboyantly entertaining series. Captain Alatriste ends with a wicked flourish, an evil laugh, and a strong likelihood that the best is yet to come."--The New York Times

"Pérez-Reverte's moody, wounded semi-hero--part cantankerous mercenary, part man of honor in a roiling society of pomp, pistols, and provocation--is a whole-cloth invention out ofa17th-century Madrid that has led to a 21st-century literary phenomenon....The clash and dash are thrilling; the swordplay is a bonus."--Entertainment Weekly

"High-level intrigue and double-dealing in the tradition of Alexandre Dumas."--Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Though Pérez-Reverte fills the swashbuckling story with nonstop action, Captain Alatriste is also a contemplation of life and death, which adds depth to the good, unclean fun."--The Miami Herald

"Pérez-Reverte's pacing is swift and suspenseful, the narrative voice both crisply cinematic and true to the setting of seventeenth-century Spain...a feast of dark historical detail and believable danger."--The Denver Post

From the Publisher

The swashbuckling spirit of Rafael Sabatini lives on in Perez-Reverte's fifth installment to the adventures of the 17th-century Spanish swordsman, Capt. Diego Alariste. The novel finds Diego back in Madrid, where even the slightest personal affront can lead to a clash of blades. Accompanied, as usual, by his loyal young servant, Iñigo Balboa Aguirre, and his friend, the poet and playwright Francisco de Quevedo, Diego learns that both he and King Philip IV are rivals for the attentions of the married actress Maria de Costa, who has many other suitors lined up at her dressing room door. Not even a death threat can scare off the ardent captain, who becomes a pawn in an old enemy's dastardly plot to assassinate the king. Richly atmospheric and alive with the sights, sounds and smells of old Madrid, this tale of derring-do is old-fashioned fun. It's elegantly written and filled with thrilling swordplay and hairbreadth escapes-escapist books don't get much better than this. (Sept.)

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Publishers Weekly

Perez-Reverte (The King's Gold, 2008, etc.) returns to familiar territory in 17th-century Spain, dispatching Captain Diego Alatriste for a fifth round of swordplay, gamesmanship and swashbuckling romance. Introduced in Captain Alatriste (2005), our hero is battle-hardened but tender-hearted, skilled with swords both literal and (ahem) metaphorical. In fact, his tenderness for women, in this case for the beautiful actress Mar'a de Castro, tends naturally to lead to complications with their husbands. Alatriste is accompanied by a young servant, I-igo Balboa Aguirre, whose innocence leads him to folly and to some questionable decisions that endanger his master. I-igo's narration (though the author also uses an omniscient third-person voice) unfolds from the perspective of an old man who knows how the story is going to end; he gives us occasional flash-forwards to the fate of some of the characters, including the death of Alatriste, as well as to the decline of Spanish culture later in the century. The novel is set during the reign of Philip IV, and political intrigue both foreign and domestic stirs men to occasional acts of violence and attempts at assassination. It's also a golden age of Spanish literature, and writers such as Lope de Vega and Tirso de Molina play roles on the periphery of the action. The lubricious villains try to implicate Alatriste in nefarious plots against the king, but our intrepid gallant of course manages to escape every shackle imposed on him. Although I-igo's fascination with one of the ladies of the court almost gets both master and servant killed, this is a world in which the good guys ultimately, and predictably, triumph. Lightweight, pleasant andunobjectionable.

Kirkus Reviews